22 supplications
Qur’anic Verses of Tawakkul: Words of Reliance on Allah
Tawakkul runs through the Qur’an as a refrain: “Upon Allah let the believers rely.” The prophets put it into words when they faced their people, the sea or exile, and these short verses are ideal to repeat when a decision, a danger or the unknown lies ahead.
Allah is sufficient for us
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
Hasbunallahu wa ni‘mal-wakil.
Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. Said by Ibrahim when thrown into the fire, and by the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions when told that people had gathered against them.
Source: Qur’an 3:173; Sahih al-Bukhari
Allah is sufficient for me
حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
Hasbiyallahu ‘alayhi yatawakkalul-mutawakkilun.
Allah is sufficient for me; upon Him those who rely should rely.
Source: Qur’an 39:38
Allah is sufficient for us
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ سَيُؤْتِينَا اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللَّهِ رَاغِبُونَ
Hasbunallahu sayu’tinallahu min fadlihi wa rasuluhu inna ilallahi raghibun.
Allah is sufficient for us; Allah will give us from His bounty, and so will His Messenger. Indeed, to Allah we turn in hope.
Source: Qur’an 9:59
Take Him as your Guardian
رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا
Rabbul-mashriqi wal-maghribi la ilaha illa huwa fattakhidhhu wakila.
Lord of the East and the West; there is no god but Him, so take Him as your Disposer of affairs.
Source: Qur’an 73:9
We believe and rely on the Most Merciful
قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ آمَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا
Qul huwar-rahmanu amanna bihi wa ‘alayhi tawakkalna.
Say: He is the Most Merciful; we have believed in Him and upon Him we have relied.
Source: Qur’an 67:29
The reliance of Ya‘qub
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
Inil-hukmu illa lillah, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa ‘alayhi falyatawakkalil-mutawakkilun.
The decision is only for Allah. Upon Him I have relied, and upon Him let those who rely, rely.
Source: Qur’an 12:67
He is my Lord
هُوَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ مَتَابِ
Huwa rabbi la ilaha illa huwa ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa ilayhi matab.
He is my Lord; there is no god but Him. Upon Him I have relied, and to Him is my return.
Source: Qur’an 13:30
Reliance and turning back
ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبِّي عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
Dhalikumullahu rabbi ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa ilayhi unib.
That is Allah, my Lord; upon Him I have relied and to Him I turn back.
Source: Qur’an 42:10
The words of Hud
إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم ۚ مَّا مِن دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
Inni tawakkaltu ‘alallahi rabbi wa rabbikum, ma min dabbatin illa huwa akhidhun bi-nasiyatiha, inna rabbi ‘ala siratin mustaqim.
I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but He holds it by its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path.
Source: Qur’an 11:56
My success is only through Allah
وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa ilayhi unib.
My success is only through Allah. Upon Him I have relied, and to Him I turn back. The words of Shu‘ayb.
Source: Qur’an 11:88
The messengers in the face of harm
وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانَا سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَىٰ مَا آذَيْتُمُونَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
Wa ma lana alla natawakkala ‘alallahi wa qad hadana subulana, wa lanasbiranna ‘ala ma adhaytumuna, wa ‘alallahi falyatawakkalil-mutawakkilun.
Why should we not rely upon Allah when He has guided us to our ways? We will surely be patient over the harm you do to us, and upon Allah let those who rely, rely.
Source: Qur’an 14:12
Rely on the Ever-Living
وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِهِ
Wa tawakkal ‘alal-hayyil-ladhi la yamutu wa sabbih bi-hamdih.
And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and glorify Him with praise.
Source: Qur’an 25:58
Nothing befalls us except what Allah wrote
قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
Qul lan yusibana illa ma kataballahu lana huwa mawlana, wa ‘alallahi falyatawakkalil-mu’minun.
Say: Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has decreed for us. He is our Protector, and upon Allah let the believers rely.
Source: Qur’an 9:51
Entrusting my affair to Allah
وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
Wa ufawwidu amri ilallah, innallaha basirum-bil-‘ibad.
And I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of His servants. The believer of Pharaoh’s family, when threatened.
Source: Qur’an 40:44
My Lord is with me
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ
Kalla, inna ma‘iya rabbi sayahdin.
No! Indeed, my Lord is with me; He will guide me. Musa at the sea, with Pharaoh’s army behind him.
Source: Qur’an 26:62
Ibrahim migrates to his Lord
إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ
Inni dhahibun ila rabbi sayahdin.
Indeed, I am going to my Lord; He will guide me.
Source: Qur’an 37:99
Do not grieve, Allah is with us
لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا
La tahzan innallaha ma‘ana.
Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us. The Prophet ﷺ to Abu Bakr in the cave.
Source: Qur’an 9:40
The best Protector and Helper
نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ
Ni‘mal-mawla wa ni‘man-nasir.
An excellent Protector and an excellent Helper.
Source: Qur’an 8:40
Allah will suffice you against them
فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Fa-sayakfikahumullahu wa huwas-sami‘ul-‘alim.
Allah will be sufficient for you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
Source: Qur’an 2:137
My protector is Allah
إِنَّ وَلِيِّيَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْكِتَابَ ۖ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصَّالِحِينَ
Inna waliyyiyallahul-ladhi nazzalal-kitab, wa huwa yatawallas-salihin.
Indeed, my protector is Allah, who sent down the Book, and He takes care of the righteous.
Source: Qur’an 7:196
Allah is the best guardian
فَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Fallahu khayrun hafidhan wa huwa arhamur-rahimin.
Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful. Ya‘qub, entrusting his son to Allah.
Source: Qur’an 12:64
The believers before the confederates
هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Hadha ma wa‘adanallahu wa rasuluhu wa sadaqallahu wa rasuluh.
This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.
Source: Qur’an 33:22
Words for moments of fear
Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Hasbunallahu wa ni‘mal-wakil was said by Ibrahim when he was thrown into the fire, and by Muhammad ﷺ when they told him the people had gathered against him” (al-Bukhari). Musa said “My Lord is with me” with the sea in front of him, and the Prophet ﷺ said “Allah is with us” in the cave with the enemy at its mouth.
These verses show that tawakkul is spoken most strongly when the means are exhausted. Repeating them calms the heart, while the hands continue to do what is possible.
Qur’anic Verses of Tawakkul: Words of Reliance on Allah: questions and answers
What is the best verse to say when afraid?
“Hasbunallahu wa ni‘mal-wakil” (3:173) and “Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa huwa, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa rabbul-‘arshil-‘adhim” (9:129).
Does tawakkul cancel planning?
No. Ya‘qub advised his sons to enter by different gates and then said “Upon Him I have relied” (12:67): planning and reliance together.
Related duas
- Duas of Tawakkul: Putting Your Trust in Allah
- All the Rabbana Duas of the Qur’an, with Meaning
- Rabbi Duas: Supplications Beginning with “My Lord” in the Qur’an
- Praising Allah in the Words of the Qur’an: Tasbih and Tahmid
- Verses of Tawhid and the Names of Allah for Remembrance
- Verses of Hope and Comfort for Hard Times
- Ayat ash-Shifa: the Healing Verses and Qur’anic Ruqyah
- Seeking Refuge in the Qur’an: the Isti‘adhah of the Prophets